Centre for Renaissance and Early Modern Studies
Lord Melvyn Bragg discusses impact of King James Bible
Posted on 2 December 2011
“The Radical Impact of the King James Bible 1611-2011” is the University’s Centre for the Study of Christianity and Culture’s first annual lecture and takes place on Thursday, 8 December. Since its publication in 1611, the King James Bible has been the best selling book in the world, spreading the Protestant faith and profoundly enriching the English language and its literature.
Lord Bragg, an honorary graduate of the University of York, will base his lecture on his latest work The Book of Books: The Radical Impact of the King James Bible 1611-2011 published earlier this year to coincide with the 400th anniversary of the King James Bible. Best known as the writer, editor and presenter of The South Bank Show for London Weekend Television (1978-2010), Lord Bragg read modern history at Wadham College, Oxford, before joining the BBC as a general trainee in 1961. Three years later, he was appointed editor of BBC2’s first arts programme First Release, and has since pursued a distinguished career as both a writer and broadcaster. He became Controller of Arts at London Weekend Television in 1990 and presented BBC Radio 4’s Start the Week for ten years until 1998.
The Chancellor of the University of Leeds and a Fellow of the Royal Society, Lord Bragg is also President of the National Campaign for the Arts and was made a life peer in 1998. He has received many awards including the Media Society Award for 2010 for his outstanding work as a journalist, broadcaster and author, and a BAFTA Academy Fellowship in recognition of his distinguished broadcasting career.
Lord Melvyn Bragg’s lecture is on Thursday, 8 December at 6pm in the Bowland Auditorium in the Berrick Saul building. The free lecture is now full.